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The death of 19-year-old dalit girl from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, more than two weeks after she was allegedly gang-raped and tortured by four men belonging to the upper caste, has brought back chilling memories of the horrific gang-rape and brutal murder of Nirbhaya in 2012 that shook India’s consciousness and gained global notoriety. The horrifying incident triggered a nationwide uproar and the government of India created Nirbhaya Fund to be used towards enhancing the safety and security of women in the country. For a moment, many might have believed that crime against women would decrease after the public outcry, demanding justice for the victim and the tall promises made by the lawmakers to stop crimes against women but not even an inch of progress has been made.
The plight of Indian women remains and the country is still not a safe place as indicated by the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). It reported that a total of 4,05,861 cases of crime against women were registered in India during 2019, showing an increase of 7.3% over 2018. Out of the total number of crime against women, 32,033 were rape cases, which translates to 88 rape cases every day. Highest rape cases were registered in Rajasthan with 5997, followed by Uttar Pradesh (3065), while Nagaland reported eight rape cases in 2019. The data clearly shows that India’s attempt to eliminate crime against women through various policies, laws, and programmes over the years has not made much progress. The cruel fate that the young woman from Hathras met with just because she’s a woman speaks volumes. Thousands of women have met with the same fate and anybody can be the next victim. What is even more appalling is the drama that usually unfolds in the aftermath of such cases and the judicial system that takes years to deliver justice.
In the case of Hathras incident, the grieving family of victim was not only denied the right to perform the last rites but also could not get a last glimpse of their beloved one before her cremation, as the Uttar Pradesh police decided to cremate her mortal remains in the wee hours of Wednesday near her village. Here, the police can’t justify this inhumane act of not respecting the dignity of the victim even after death in the name of maintaining law and order. The special investigation team that has been set up by the UP government to probe the case should carry out an unbiased investigation and expose the truth – only the truth. If found true, those responsible for denying the grieving parents from paying a dignified farewell to their child should be booked and ensure that such an incident is not repeated. More importantly, the fast track court being set up to hear the case should deliver justice without delay. It should send out a strong message to the citizens that India won’t tolerate such heinous crimes. This is pertinent to restore faith in law enforcement and judiciary, which is slowly depleting among the public.